haang4 jat1 bou6 tai2 jat1 bou6行一步睇一步
Jyutpinghaang4 jat1 bou6 tai2 jat1 bou6
Yalehàahng yāt bouh tái yāt bouh
Definition
To take things one step at a time, making decisions as you go rather than planning ahead.
colloquialdaily actionsemotion
How it's used
Reflects a pragmatic, go-with-the-flow attitude common in Hong Kong culture when facing uncertainty. It implies a lack of long-term planning, not out of laziness, but as a survival strategy when circumstances are volatile. It is often used to comfort someone who is overthinking or feeling anxious about future outcomes.
Examples
The future is unclear, so we have to take it one step at a time.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this in formal business or academic contexts, as it can sound dismissive or lacking in professional foresight. It is strictly for casual, personal advice or describing a reactive approach to life.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
